Shaquille O’Neal announces retirement from the NBA: Fan reaction

After 19 exciting years in the NBA, former Los Angeles Laker and current Boston Celtic big manShaquille O'Neal(notes) has decided to hang up his sneakers. On June 1, Shaq announced his retirement via Twitter, telling his fans/followers that he wanted them to hear it directly from him first. Despite the bumpy road full of detours that Shaq has gone down since he first entered the league in 1992, he has my utmost respect for all of the historic moments and gut-wrenching games that he was a part of.

Drafted with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Shaq immediately became a dominant force in the paint. Standing at 7'1'' and weighing over 300 pounds, Shaq could never be taken lightly. Despite his early impact for the Magic, it was nothing compared to the shockwaves that he would end up sending through the Lakers' organization after signing with them as a free agent in 1996.

His time with the Lakers from 1996-2004 was when he hit his peak. During that section of his career, he was a crucial piece to the Lakers' three-peat run from 2000-2002. He was a force in the middle of the Lakers' lineup and teamed with Kobe Bryant(notes) to form one of the most dynamic duos ever in the history of the NBA. In Los Angeles, his inability to make free throws and frequency of getting fouled helped coin the term "Hack-a-Shaq". His legacy was built during his days as a Laker, proving himself worthy of being on the list of the team's best players of all time, which is company that most players can only dream about. However, a lack of communication and teamwork between him and Bryant would eventually lead to his departure from Los Angeles and his arrival as part of the Miami Heat.

During his four seasons with the Heat, he managed to earn himself another ring while teaming up with dynamic scorer Dwayne Wade. In 2006, Shaq added another ring to his trophy case with an inspiring Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks. However, as his career wore on in Miami, it continued to become more and more obvious that he wasn't the same Shaq we all saw during his days as a part of the Lakers' historic dynasty.

After he left Miami in 2008, he turned into a journeyman. During the next three seasons, he would skip from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Phoenix Suns, ending with the Boston Celtics. It appeared as though he was looking for the team with the most potential for him to add another ring to his collection. However, it never panned out as Miami's 2006 Finals victory would be his last. How ironic that a player most known for his time with the Lakers would end his career wearing the green and white of the Celtics.

Throughout his soon-to-be Hall-of-Fame career, Shaq amassed one of the most impressive and noteworthy r©sum©s the NBA has ever seen. Throughout 19 seasons, he compiled four Championship rings, three Finals MVP Awards, one NBA MVP Award, was named to the All-Star team 15 times and was awarded the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He is currently fifth on the NBA all-time scoring list with 28,596 points (728 ahead of Bryant). His 58.2 field goal percentage is second-best in NBA history only to Artis Gilmore's 59.9 percent. He also stands at seventh on the all-time blocks list with 2,732 and thirteenth on the all-time rebounds list with 13,099.

Despite his phenomenal performances on the court, he was also known for his various ventures off of it. From a stint as a rapper, to several appearances on the big screen, all the way to his endeavors in law enforcement, it seemed like Shaq was always trying out something new beyond the borders of the basketball court. Now that is playing days are over, we can only speculate as to where his life will lead him next. He has shown interest in becoming an MMA fighter as well as a teacher, so who knows which road he will follow. Either way, this certainly won't be the last we will hear of the big man that has aggressively etched his name into NBA history.

His playing days have undoubtedly culminated into one of the most illustrious careers that the NBA has ever or will ever see. Wherever his ambitions take him next, we're sure to be hearing about it for years to come. The league, coaches, players and fans bid farewell to one of the most exciting and dominant players to ever grace the hardwood.